Diffusion
tensor imaging of the brain and spinal cord in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis and age-matched healthy control subjects revealed a significant
decrease in fractional anisotropy, and increase in mean diffusivity and
radial diffusivity along the corticospinal tract. The DTI parameters from ALS
patients showed significant correlation with their average finger and foot
tapping speed, a measure of upper motor neuron dysfunction. These findings
suggest that DTI might represent useful imaging biomarkers of ALS disease
progression.